A typical fluid connector includes a male connector that is received within a female connector to place the two connectors in fluid communication with each other. The male and female connectors may be threadedly engaged, snap fit, or otherwise releasably connected to each other to allow for interconnection and disconnection. Each connector is coupled in fluid communication with a respective fluid passageway, such as a tube or fluid chamber, in order to place the fluid passageways in fluid communication with each other and allow the passage of fluids therebetween.
Such fluid connectors typically do not prevent the contamination of fluids passing through them. For example, prior to interconnection of the male and female connectors, the fluid-contacting surfaces thereof can be exposed to the ambient atmosphere and contaminated through contact with airborne germs and/or by contact with contaminated surfaces. One approach to preventing such contamination is to wipe the fluid-contacting surfaces of the male and female connectors with an alcohol wipe or other disinfectant prior to interconnection. One drawback of this approach is that it may not remove all germs on the fluid-contacting surfaces. Another drawback of this approach is that the fluid-contacting surfaces may become contaminated after the wipe is applied but prior to interconnection of the male and female connectors. Yet another drawback of this approach is that it can be time consuming and considered a nuisance, and therefore unreliable in practice.
Accordingly, aseptic or sterile fluids can be subjected to contamination when passed through such prior art connectors. Such contamination can give rise to significant problems. If used in a hospital or other medical facility, such as to transfer sterile drugs or other fluids intended for intravenous injection, for example, any such contamination can lead to viral and other types of infections, serious illnesses, and death. In food processing applications, on the other hand, it may be necessary to connect fluid conduits, for example, in order to transfer sterile or aseptic fluids from one passageway to another. If the fluids are contaminated upon passage through a fluid connector, this can lead to contamination of previously-sterile food products, and if such contaminated products are ingested, they can cause infections and/or illnesses. In industrial applications, it may be necessary to prevent a toxic fluid passing through a connector from contaminating the ambient atmosphere, an operator handling the connector, and/or other surfaces that might be located external to the connector. If the fluid-contacting surfaces of the connector are exposed to human contact, or surfaces that come into human contact, for example, this can lead to possible injury and/or illnesses.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome one or more of the above-described drawbacks and/or disadvantages of the prior art.